Uffe Ellemann-Jensen | |
---|---|
Foreign Minister | |
In office 10 September 1982 – 25 January 1993 |
|
Prime Minister | Poul Schlüter |
Preceded by | Kjeld Olesen |
Succeeded by | Niels Helveg Petersen |
Leader of Venstre | |
In office 23 July 1984 – 18 March 1998 |
|
Preceded by | Henning Christophersen |
Succeeded by | Anders Fogh Rasmussen |
President of the European Liberals | |
In office 1995–2000 |
|
Preceded by | Willy De Clercq |
Succeeded by | Werner Hoyer |
Personal details | |
Born |
Haarby |
1 November 1941
Nationality | Danish |
Political party | Venstre |
Spouse(s) | Hanne Jonsen (1963-1971) Alice Vestergaard (1971-present) |
Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (Danish pronunciation: [ufə ɛləmæn ˈjɛnsn̩], informal: [ufə ˈɛləˌmænˀ] (born 1 November 1941) was Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark in the Conservative led Poul Schlüter Administration 1982–1993. He was leader of the Danish Liberal Party, Venstre 1984–1998 and President of the European Liberals 1995–2000. Since 1998, Ellemann-Jensen has been Chairman of Baltic Development Forum, a non-profit networking organisation dedicated to the business development of the Baltic Sea region. He is non-executive director of various boards of international companies.
A strong supporter of NATO and the European Union based upon his belief in Western cohesion led to many political battles with the left-wing opposition. Several times the opposition tried to topple him on issues of solidarity within NATO, but he survived. Uffe Ellemann-Jensen succeeded in convincing a majority in the Danish Parliament, Folketinget, to actively support the US led coalition against Iraq during the Gulf War. Furthermore, he led the Danish recognition of the renewed independence of the three Baltic countries in 1991, when Denmark was the first country to re-establish diplomatic relations with the three countries. In 1992, Ellemann-Jensen, together with his German colleague Hans-Dietrich Genscher, took the initiative to create the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the EuroFaculty.